Diode device and method for repairing sprinkler system with faulty wiring between control box and valve

Abstract

The present invention is directed to methods of repairing a sprinkler system with faulty wiring between the controller and a one or more of the valves, and associated repaired systems. The method includes identifying the faulty electrically conductive line having electrical discontinuity between the controller and a corresponding first valve, and identifying a non-faulty electrically conductive line having electrical continuity between a controller and corresponding second valve. Control over the first valve is achieved by sharing the non-faulty electrically conductive line between the second valve and the first valve. Forked wiring segments are inserted on both the controller end and the valve end of the non-faulty line. Each inserted wire segment includes a diode to permit current to flow in only one direction allowing both valves to be controlled through only a single shared “hot” line.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A sprinkler system comprising:
 A plurality of sprinkler valves; 
 a controller for controlling the plurality of sprinkler valves; 
 a first hot electrically conductive line having electrical continuity between the controller and a corresponding first valve, the first hot electrically conductive line comprising a first segment, a second segment, and a third segment, the first segment electrically connecting the controller to the second segment, the second segment electrically connecting the first segment to the third segment, and the third segment electrically connecting the first valve to the second segment; 
 a second hot electrically conductive line having electrical continuity between the controller and a corresponding second valve, the second hot electrically conductive line comprising a first segment, a second segment, and a third segment, the first segment electrically connecting the controller to the second segment, the second segment electrically connecting the first segment to the third segment, and the third segment electrically connecting the second valve to the second segment; 
 wherein the second segment of the second hot electrically conductive line is the second segment of the first hot electrically conductive line so that the second segment is shared and includes forks at both a controller end and a valve end; a plurality of electrical diodes including a pair of first segment diodes and a pair of third segment diodes in which; 
 a first segment diode is disposed on each first segment between the controller and the fork at the intersection of the second segment with the first segments; 
 a third segment diode is disposed on each third segment between the corresponding valve and the fork at the intersection of the second segment with the third segments; and 
 a common electrically conductive line having electrical continuity between the controller, the first valve, and the second valve. 
 
     
     
       2. A sprinkler system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second valves are disposed adjacent to one another. 
     
     
       3. A sprinkler system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the first and second valves are disposed within the same valve box. 
     
     
       4. A sprinkler system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first and third segment diodes of a given hot electrically conductive line are oriented in the same direction as one another. 
     
     
       5. A sprinkler system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the first and third segment diodes of the first hot electrically conductive line are oriented in a first same direction as one another and the first and third segment diodes of the second hot electrically conductive line are both oriented in a second direction that is opposite that of the first and third segment diodes of the first hot electrically conductive line. 
     
     
       6. A method of repairing a faulty sprinkler system in which a hot electrically conductive line between a controller and a corresponding valve is faulty, the method comprising:
 identifying the faulty electrically conductive line having at least one electrical discontinuity between the controller and a corresponding first valve; and 
 identifying a non-faulty electrically conductive line having electrical continuity between a controller and a corresponding second valve; and 
 inserting a forked electrically conductive line including three segments into one end of the non-faulty electrically conductive line adjacent the controller, between the controller and the corresponding second valve, the forked electrically conductive line including a first segment providing an electrical connection to the controller for the first valve, a second segment providing an electrical connection to the controller for the second valve, and a third segment that provides an electrical connection to the non-faulty electrically conductive line, wherein the first and second segments each include an electrical diode between the controller and the non-faulty electrically conductive line; and 
 inserting a forked electrically conductive line including three segments into another end of the non-faulty electrically conductive line, adjacent the second valve, the forked electrically conductive line including a first segment providing an electrical connection between the non-faulty electrically conductive line and the first valve, a second segment providing an electrical connection between the non-faulty electrically conductive line and the second valve, and a third segment that provides an electrical connection between the non-faulty electrically conductive line and the forked first and second segments, wherein the first and second segments each include an electrical diode between the corresponding valve and the non-faulty electrically conductive line. 
 
     
     
       7. A method as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the first and second valves are disposed adjacent to one another. 
     
     
       8. A method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the first and second valves are disposed within a same valve box. 
     
     
       9. A method as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the diodes of the first and second segments adjacent the controller are oriented in opposite directions relative to one another. 
     
     
       10. A sprinkler system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the diodes of the first and second segments adjacent the controller are oriented in opposite directions relative to one another and the diodes of the first and second segments adjacent the valves are also oriented in opposite directions relative to one another, and further wherein each diode of each first segment is oriented in the same direction as one another and each diode of the second segment is oriented in the same direction as one another.